It’s a sign of the hole the Trojans find themselves in three games into the 2018 season that the line for USC vs. Washington State opened on Sunday at just 4.5 points in favor of the home side, per OddsShark.
Since oddsmakers usually spot home teams a three-point boost in the spread, they see very little to separate the two teams.
By contrast, USC was a six-point favorite on the road over WSU last year. Of course, the outcome of that game speaks to this week’s contest. The Cougars upset the Trojans in Pullman on a Friday night.